Coin collection display device



Feb. 24, 1953 1... E. VAN LAHR COIN COLLECTION DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 18, 1949 Patented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved coin collection device primarily useful for receiving coins to pay for extended parking periods in off street parking lots.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple inexpensive device wherein a coin or coins may be deposited for one or more periods of time limitation.

A further object is to provide visual means for I My invention will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Fig. l is a front view of my improved coin collection device.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken in the plane of the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed section, taken in the plane of the irregular line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the door open to permit the coins to drop into the coin box.

Fig. 4 is a detailed section, taken in the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detailed section, taken in the plane of the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

My improved coin collection device comprises a housing ll having a base portion 12 and an upwardly extending portion 13. The base portion is provided with a cavity l4 arranged to receive a coin box l5 which is locked in place by means of a key operated lock I6 secured to the front wall of the coin box. A latch member I! secured to the lock bolt is arranged to engage a slot H3 in the housing.

A door is connected to the front of the housing by hinge pins 2| extending through the end walls of the upper portion of the housing and the door. A key operated lock 22 is mounted in the base of the housing and is provided with a latch 23 having segment 24 and an extending segment 25. The bottom of the door is provided with an inwardly extending lug 26 and a pair of radial grooves 21 and 28 for reception of the segments of the latch. When the door is locked to maintain the door against the upper portion of lower edge of the door.

the housing. The front face of the upper portion of the housing has a series of recesses 32, 31 and 32 forming coin guides of a depth and width just sufficient to accommodate and permit to slide therein a five cent piece, a dime and quarter. It is important that these guides are of the proper depth to permit the coins to stack in the guides and not overlap or jam. The coins are inserted into the recesses through coin slots 33, 34, and 35 in the door.

A flat member 36 of transparent material is secured to the front face of the housing by means of screws 31 extending through the member and threaded into the housing to form the front face of the coin guides. This member extends from below the coin slot to a position below the This prevents the insertion of a foreign member under the door and into the coin guides to interfere with the dropping of the coins into the coin box. The member 35 is provided with apertures 38 for entry of the stop pins 45 and it and is cut out as at 39 to encompass the lug 26. The inner face of the door is recessed as at 40 to fit over the transparent member 36.

Elongated openings ll, 42 and' l3 are in the door below the coin slots to provide visual means for determining the number and authenticity of the coins in each coin guide. The lug 2E5 forms a stop for the dime column and the pins 45 and it extending inwardly from the door form stops for the five cent and quarter columns. The pins 45 are shown spaced apart to stop coins of the proper denomination but will permit coins of smaller size to pass between the pins. The pins extend inwardly from the door and abut the wall of the recess in the housing. When the door is opened the pins are clear of the coin guide. Either the spaced pins 45, the single pin 46, or the lug 26 may be used in any of the slots within the scope of my invention.

A spring 41 is inserted in the housing and rests in a groove 48 in the door to urge the door away from the housing when the key is turned in the lock 22, causing the segment 25 to move away from the lug 26 and out of the groove 21 until it strikes a pin 49 extending from the coin box l5 to arrest further movement of the latch. In this position the segment 24 will be engaged in the groove 28, the spring moving the door a sufficient distance to withdraw the coin stop from the coin guides to permit the coins to drop into the coin box.

If it is desired to open the door a greater distance, the coin box is removed thus removing the 3 pin 49 from an obstructing position in alignment with the latch l1, and the latch 11 is turned to free the door from the segments, permitting full opening of the door for cleaning purposes.

This coin collection device is intended primarily for parking lots, wherein the rates are posted in a conspicuous place and the car owner drives into a designated space and deposits the required coins for the contemplated time he desires to park in the lot. The attendent can view the coins in the coin passages and by inserting his key in the lock 22 release the coins into the coin box at any time thereafter. With this arrangement each car driver parks his own car and the attendent merely checks the devices and makes change. A separate key opens the coin boxes.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A coin collection display device comprising a housing having a vertically disposed panel and a coin receptacle at the bottom thereof, said panel having on a face thereof a vertically disposed coin slot open at the upper end thereof, a door disposed to lie flatwise against the slotted face of said panel, said door being hinged at its upper end on said housing and having an aperture adjacent to the top of said slot through .which a coin may be inserted into the slot, said door also having a projection disposed to underlie said coin slot and support the intended coin therein when in said normal position, said door having a window that is coextensive with the coin slot through which coins in the slot may be viewed, a rotatable latch engaging said door, said latch movable to engage said door and lock said door in one position and to permit limited movement of said door and projection thereof in a second position to discharge coins into said receptacle, and a key actuated lock for turning said latch.

2. A coin collection display device according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that said door is provided with a pair of stepped grooves for coaction with said latch for holding said door in closed position over said coin slots in one position of said latch, and permitting limited movement of said door when said latch is moved to a second position for release of said coins from said coin slot.

3. A coin collection display device according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that said coin receptacle has a coin box insertable therein and provided with a projection in the path of said latch to limit movement of said latch.

4. A coin collection display device according to claim 1 characterized by the fact that said panel is provided on said face with a plurality of vertically disposed coin slots for coins of different size.

LEO E. VAN LAHR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 847,652 Creasey Mar. 19, 1907 1,678,646 Miller July 31, 1928 1,838,317 Marchioni Dec. 29, 1931 2,199,086 Weatherford Apr. 30, 1940 2,420,246 Keller May 6, 1947 

